Empowering Citizen Scientists for Safer and Resilient Communities: A Story of Creating a Metro Manila Climate and Disaster Risk Atlas through QGIS and OSM
Janica Kylle De Guzman, Ceejay T. Abilay
Disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, and flooding are inevitable, especially as climate change intensifies. This heightens the need for effective information sharing, which some governments have addressed by sending out timely digital alerts. While large organizations work to prepare communities for disasters, local knowledge often gets overlooked despite its critical role in understanding a hazard’s impact. Residents possess intimate knowledge of their surroundings, which becomes invaluable during emergencies for identifying evacuation routes and understanding the landscape. In creating a disaster risk assessment, selecting data sources is crucial, as demonstrated by the Metro Manila Climate and Disaster Risk Atlas. This atlas, created using QGIS and OSM, assesses hazards in Metro Manila—a region prone to a potential 7.2 magnitude earthquake due to the West Valley Fault System. Leveraging these tools, provides a comprehensive view of risks, empowering communities with vital information about the vulnerabilities and resilience of their locales. The project exemplifies how integrating local and digital knowledge fosters a safer, more prepared society.